Blog

1) Where does your passion for food come from?
A rich family tradition of get togethers around food

2) Tell us about your culinary journey.
We were encouraged to create our company from the opportunities we had at hand, which included a job layoff, a rich family history of staying connected around food, and our desire to build a business that can sustain our family while giving back to our local community. This has resulted in 3 world-recognized awards for product innovation and excellence.

3) Where is your favorite place to eat?
Mediterranean Kitchen

4) Where do you source your ingredients?
We use local sources and brokers to find the best and freshest ingredients.

5) Tell us about a new product you are working on.
We are always looking to add new flavors to our line of products. we hope to announce a new flavor early in 2019

My Mom! She’s an amazing cook who loves trying out new recipes and experimenting in the kitchen. We had a large garden growing up and canning was always a big summer activity when I was a kid. Though I didn’t inherit the green thumb, it planted a strong appreciation for the farm to table movement I enjoy now.

2) Tell us about your culinary journey.

Baking has long been a hobby of mine. I love making elaborately decorated treats for friends to enjoy. I bring this same sensibility to my series of Bitty Bowls and Spoons. It’s a fun way to bring color and sweetness into the kitchen (without the calories).

I majored in metalsmithing in college and have been making jewelry and sculpture ever since. Making small spice bowls and spoons has been a great way for me to bridge my appreciation for well crafted food with heirloom quality objects for the talented chefs who make those amazing meals.

3) Where is your favorite place to eat?

Tough one. I’m partial to variety so I’m often trying out new restaurants when I go out. I mostly cook and eat at home but I’ve had fantastic memorable meals at several of Renee Erickson’s restaurants and would happily return to all of them repeatedly.

4) Where do you source your ingredients?

I source the metal and glass enamel I use in my products from manufacturers within the US. Using these, I make everything by hand in my Seattle studio.

5) Tell us about a new product you are working on.

I’m really excited about a new series of black and white bowls with graphite sketches I’m making. The graphite layer is fused under clear glass so it’s permanent and functional. They are also a little larger so work well with bigger hands or when you want more of your favorite spice/condiment/etc. Some of the drawings are inspired by my hikes in the area but others are a direct reference to herbs and ingredients used in the kitchen. I’m pretty sure everyone hosting Thanksgiving this year deserves a rosemary inspired Bitty Bowl as a host gift.

I started making hot sauce from my boss’s mother’s recipe while working on a small truck farm on the Klamath River. My friends there were all plant nerds, and they turned me on to seed saving, so when I discovered an off-type pepper that I liked, it seemed an obvious project to try and isolate the traits that I liked, and to develop a new variety. By the time I left the farm, I’d begun making larger and larger batches of hot sauce, and also had a seed variety that was fairly well stabilized, so I combined the two projects: scaling up the recipe and featuring my own variety, as well as several of my favorite heirlooms.

3) Where do you source your ingredients?

For Hot Winter, I grow a lot of my own peppers, and some of my own garlic. Any additional peppers and garlic are purchased farm direct from Organic growers in Oregon. I purchase organic commodities (vinegar and sugar) primarily through Azure Standard, which is based in Dufer, OR.

4) Tell us about a new product you are working on.

Chile Vinegar. This is the brine created by my fermenting peppers. It’s a bit salty, but is magnificently and aromatically piquant. It makes a fantastic spritzer/cocktail, and is downright magical for brining meats.

5) What will our fans find at your booth this fall?

Organic Fermented hot sauce. I will have at least one Limited Edition variety (not available at grocery stores), as well as Chile Vinegar, on sale for Turkey brining. And tea towels! (They show off botanical renderings of the chiles used in my hot sauce).

That’s a tough one! There are so many amazing places to eat in Seattle. If I have to pick just one, I’d say my favorite is Mashiko in West Seattle. The food is always fresh and interesting, and they are happy to answer questions and make recommendations. Sit at the sushi bar!

2) Tell us about a new product you are working on.

I just began making ceramic pour-overs (this is Seattle after all) so I’m working on refining the design of those. My current caffeine intake may be reaching unhealthy levels from all of the product testing!

3) What will our fans find at your booth this fall?

Since this is Gobble Up, I’ll be focusing more on items that pair well with food and drink! You’ll find my signature tea dolls, along with cups, mugs, sake sets, and pour-overs. I’ll also have a selection of bowls, plates, and serving dishes to choose from.

4) What are your goals for your business in the next year?

I *just* finished building my own studio at home so my primary goal is to start making more work! I want to be able to keep my online shop more consistently stocked for folks who find me that don’t live in the area. Learning to run and grow my business in an efficient and sustainable manner are also goals for the next year.

5) What’s the best part of your job?

Getting to see people’s faces light up when they first see my work is pretty much the best. I love being able to meet and talk to the people who buy my work, and am so happy when I know a person is going home with an item that will bring them or a loved one a little bit of joy every day.

I primarily source my ingredients from Oregon’s Willamette Valley and local Portland businesses. It’s always been my goal to support the farms and businesses near my home and I love that with all of the amazing products grown and made in this region, I’m able to do just that.

2) Tell us about a new product you are working on.

We have an ever-growing list of new caramel flavor ideas. Topping the list right now are a dairy-free option and something spicy!

3) What will our fans find at your booth this fall?

This fall, you’ll find our full array of caramels, plenty of samples, and perfect gift packages for the holiday season!

4) What are your goals for your business in the next year?

Our goals in the coming year are to launch at least two new caramel flavors, and to continue to expand our new brick and mortar location in McMinnville, OR. Our new venture is Bellevue Country Store, where we make all of our caramels and now offer an array of other local goods, coffee, cold drinks, pastries, etc…

We’re also beginning to work with local wineries to develop caramel and wine paired gift baskets!

5) What’s the best part of your job?

Easily, the best part of my job is all of the amazing people I get to meet and share my caramel and story with.

I have always been drawn to time-consuming cooking projects and techniques- the more weeks something takes, the better! I first tried my hand at fermentation a few years ago, starting with a simple fermented jalapeño hot sauce. The results blew me away- the depth of flavor was so unlike any hot sauce I had tried before. That sent me down a path of experimenting more and more with all things spicy, and what has now morphed into Häxan Hot Sauce.

2) Where do you source your ingredients?

Sourcing as locally as possible is a core value for us. We work with farmers from around Washington state, including Tonnemakers and Alvarez Organic Farms. Our honey is sourced from Golden Girls Honey in Bellevue.

3) Tell us about a new product you are working on.

We will be bringing brand new gift boxes to the market with us! These will have smaller bottle sizes and would make a great gift for the hot sauce lover in your life. We are also going to be introducing our first seasonal hot sauce this winter, which is a big jump up for us on heat level. Keep an eye out for that one!

4) What will our fans find at your booth this fall?

Fermented, small-batch, locally-sourced hot sauces ranging from mild to spicy. Our approach to hot sauce puts value on high-quality, fresh ingredients; unique flavors; and manageable heat. Our sauces have no artificial colors, preservatives, or flavors, and use only honey as a sweetener.

It comes from my mom and grandma. Their culinary skills inspired my love for food at an early age.

2) Tell us about your culinary journey.

I love color, textures, and food. I formally trained as a textile designer, which led to a career in the New York fashion industry where I designed high-end home accessories for Ankasa and fabrics for Oscar de la Renta. Eventually, I moved to Seattle in 2006 and worked for Nordstrom as a fabric specialist. In early 2008, I decided to take a break from the long work hours and focus on health, nutrition, and fitness. I also found time to pursue my other passion–vegetarian Indian cuisine. I have enjoyed cooking traditional Indian meals since an early age and am a self-proclaimed chai connoiseur.

While chai has recently become quite popuIar in the US, it was difficult to find authentic Indian chai outside of home. So, when I discovered that my husband’s high school friend had formulated an all-natural instant chai that tasted just as good as the freshly brewed homemade kind, the idea for “”Jaipur Avenue Chai Company”” for the international marketplace was born. We experimented with different spices, lowered the sugar content, and created six chai blends that would appeal to the modern palate. I worked on the packaging with a Seattle-based graphic designer and launched the company in late 2010. Today our chai is available at several retailers and cafes in Seattle and beyond.

3) Where is your favorite place to eat?

My favorite is Araya’s Place–the first vegan-Thai restaurant in the northwest.

4) Where do you source your ingredients?

Our black tea comes from Assam in northeast India, the spices are sourced from various plantations across India, and milk is obtained from cooperative dairy farms in the state of Maharashtra in western India.

5) Tell us about a new product you are working on.

We are currently working on creating a Turmeric Latte–a wonderful blend of turmeric, spices, milk, and jaggery.

My fabrics are sourced from thrift stores, estate and yard sales, and special closeouts. I cut up lots of t-shirts, skirts, table cloths, dish towels and unique pieces of fabric to create a fabric collage that is functional, wearable art.

2) Tell us about a new product you are working on.

Half aprons, Kid’s Aprons — all made of re-purposed textiles

3) What will our fans find at your booth this fall?

One of a Kind Full Chef Aprons made from re-purposed and upcycled textiles. Made as functional,wearable art, each piece is unique.

4) What are your goals for your business in the next year?

I am hoping to add a new sewing machine to the studio. My Bernina 817 has been with me since 1970. This machine has done it all for me.

5) What’s the best part of your job?

I put together great fabric combinations that are beautiful, functional and made of re-purposed textiles and get feedback and admiration from those to look through the racks of aprons.